Clutch mechanism



Oct. 30, 1934. F. A. JIMERSON CLUTCH MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed Sept. 12, 1930 IN VEN TOR.

1175 A TTORNEY.

Oct. 30, 1934. F. JIMERSQN 1,978,903

CLUTCH MECHANISM Filed Sept. 12, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheef, 2

12 INVENTOR. nan idH-flZm/em'an BY I El L5ATT0RN% 30 the armature 50 nailed in a bearing 32 carried Patented Got. 30, 1934 CLUTCH MECHANISM Francis A. Jimerson, Athens, Pa., assignor to Ingersoll-l'tand Company, Jersey City, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 12, 1930, Serial No. 481,409

1 Claim.

This invention relates to power transmitting devices, but more particularly to a clutch mechanism adapted to form a connection between a driving element and a driven element.

The objects of the invention are to insure a quick and positive connection between the driving element and a driven element, to insure an equal distribution of the power applied by the driving element to actuate the driven element,

and to disconnect one driven element from and connect another driven element to the driving element by a single manual operation.

' Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawings which accompany this specification and form a part thereof,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a hoist of the double drum type embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and v Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by 25 the arrows.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the hoist shown therein is preferably driven by an electric motor. The motor and hoist are adapted to be readily separated and, to this end,

shaft 10 of the motor and the main shaft "12 ofthe hoist are coupled by a splined sleeve 14 engaging the suitably splined ends 11 and 13 respectively ofthe armature shaft 10 and main shaft 12.

' ,35 "The armature shaft 10 is supportedat the end adjacent the hoist bya bearing 15 carried by the bearing support 16 of the end cover 18 of the motonwhich; as is usual, may be secured to the housing 20 of the motor by means of the bolts .40 22. To fadilitatethe ready separation of the motor and hoist the end cover '18 of the motor is provided ;with"an extending flange 23 to which a housing 24, which encloses the actuating mechanism of the hoist is secured as by the bolts 25.

1A5 The'housing 24 is provided at the other end with an end cover 26;which may be secured to the-housing 24 by means of bolts 28 and is profvided witha projecting portion 30. The end of the driving shaft 12 opposite the motor is jourby the projecting portion 30 and the bearing 32 maybe protected against the entry of dust by the cover 34 secured within the projecting portion 30. "Extending longitudinally .along the main shaft :1'2' and adapted to rotate thereover at a diiferent speed is a hollow shaft 36. The hollow shaft 36 is driven by the main shaft 12 through a system of reduction gearing and this reduction gearing may be driven by means of a gear 38 suitably keyed to the main shaft 12 adjacent the bearing 32. Meshing with the gear 38 is a larger gear 40 rotatable upon a separate shaft (not shown) which shaft is adapted to support a smaller gear 42 rotatable at a similar speed to the larger gear 40 and for this purpose being formed integral therewith. Meshing with the smaller gear 42 is a gear 44 suitably keyed to. a shaft 46 which is supported at one end in a bearing 48 carried by the projecting end 30 of the end cover 26.

The bearing 48 may be protected against the entry of dust by the cover 50. The other end of the shaft 46 is preferably journalled in a bearing 52 carried by the support plate 54 which may be secured by the bolts 28 to the housing 24.

In this instance the shaft 46 projects through the bearing 52 and is formed with a gear 56 thereon. Rotation of the hollow shaft 36 is now accomplished by means of an internal gear member 58 which is suitably keyed to the hollow shaft 36 and meshes with the gear 56 on the projecting end of the shaft 46.

The hollow shaft 36 may be supported at the end adjacent the internal gear 58 by means of the bearing 60 carried by a cover 62 also secured by the bolts 28 to the site end the hollow shaft 36 may be journalled in a bearing 64 carried by the end cover 18 of the motor.

Positioned substantially equi-distant from the center of the hoist are a pair of winding drums 66. These winding drums 66 are, in this embodiment, of identical construction and a description of one will suffice for both. Referring therefore more particularly to the winding drum 66 on the left hand side .of the hoist, it is with a hub portion 68 having a bearing member 70 therein which is rotatable on the hollow shaft 36.

A hollow hub portion 72 surrounding the hub 68 on the drum is adapted to provide a winding surface for the rope 74 used To maintain the rope in position, a flange 76 is provided at one end of the drum and a flange 78 at the other. The housing 24 of the hoist may be provided with an opening 80, as shown in Fig-- ure 3, to provide a clearance for the rope 74.

This invention more particularly contemplates the provision of an improved clutch mechanism for alternately driving thedrums 66. To this end,

a driving member in the form of a spider 82 is secured to the hollow shaft 36 preferably by a key preferably provided for hoisting the load.

housing 24. At the oppo- 84 on one side and a set screw 86 on the other. The spider 82 has a plurality, preferably three, of projecting lugs 88 disposed at substantially equal distances around one face. Cooperating With the spider to impart motion to the winding drum is a series of separated clutch members 90 having depending portions 92 between which the projecting lugs 88 of the spider 82 are adapted to extend. It will be seen from Figure 2 that this construction has considerable strength and is capable of withstanding with ease the sudden shocks to which clutch mechanisms are liable to be subjected.

Each of the separated clutch members 90 is preferably of segmental shape and is provided around its outer surface with a suitable friction band 94 which may be secured to each separated clutch member 90 in any suitable manner. When the clutch members are positioned around the spider 82 they will form practically a complete circle with a small space between adjacent members as shown in Figure 2. The ciutch members 90 are also provided with webs 96 extending from their outer edges to the depending portions 92 and resilient means may be employed, such as springs 98, to connect the clutch members one to the other.

The friction bands 94 of the clutch members 90 are adapted to be forced into contact with an annular flange 99 projecting from the drum 66 and having an internal clutch surface 100 thereon. To accomplish this contact between the friction bands 94 and the clutch surface 100 novel means have been employed whereby but slight movement of the clutch members 90 is necessary. To this end, each clutch member is engaged by a bifurcated actuating member 102 of which the ends seat against the clutch member at points on opposite sides of the depending portions 92. Each actuating member has a threaded portion 104 depending therefrom and adapted to engage a suitably threaded nut 106. Each nut 106 is preferably formed with a rounded end which is adapted to freely pivot in a suitably shaped socket 108 formed on the surface of a ring 110. The ring 110 is preferably loosely fitting on the hollow shaft 36 and abuts at one side an alignment ring 112 which is preferably a sliding fit on the hollow shaft 36. The ring 110 is made loosely fitting in order that inequalities of adjustment of the individual clutch members 90 with respect to the clutch surface 100 will be immediately compensated for by movement of this ring on the shaft when the clutch is engaged.

It will'be noted that, as shown in Figure 1, the bifurcated actuating members 102 are inclined towards the center of the hoist so that movement of the loosely fitting ring 110 in a longitudinal direction away from the center of the hoist would cause these actuating members to pivot in their sockets and change their angle of inclination, thereby moving the clutch members 90 outwardly to force'th'e friction bands 94 into engagement with the clutch surface 100 of the winding drum 66.

The'loo'sely fitting ring 110 may be moved longitudinally by any suitable means and, in this instance, is moved by aclutch handle 114 which engages a squared end 116 of a shaft 118 carrying a-pair of pinions 120. The shaft 118 is preferably supported to lie transversely of the main shaft 12 by a bearing 122 formed on the housing 24 at one side and by a bearing 123 formed on a bracket 125 secured. on the other side of the housing 24.

The pinions are arranged to mesh with teeth 124 formed on the ends of a yoke member 126, which yoke member extends around the hollow shaft and has a pair of projecting bearing portions 123 on the opposite side thereof to the teeth 124. Extending through the projecting bearing portions 128 is a pin 130 supported by a U-shaped member 132 suitably secured as by the bolts 134 to the housing 24.

The yoke member 126 is preferably provided with web portions forming guideways 135 which engage trunnions 136 formed in this instance integral with the outer cover 138 of a ball bearing assembly. The outer cover 138 may be formed with a flange 140 on one side and have a plate 142 enclosing the other. Rotation of the outer cover 138 is prevented by pins 141 projecting from the web portions of the yoke 126 adjacent the trunnions 136. The flange 140 and plate 142 contact with a collar 144 which abuts the alignment ring 112 and is slidable upon an enlarged portion 145 of the hollow shaft 36. This collar 144 forms the inner ring of the bearing assembly. The outer ring 146 of the bearing assembly may be enclosed within the outer cover 138 with the usual balls 148 disposed between the collar 144 and the outer ring 146. Movement of the yoke 126 by the pinions 120 will impart longitudinal movement to the bearing assembly through the trunnions 136 and move it towards the alignment ring 112 which abuts the collar 144.

The separated clutch members 90 are positioned with the friction bands 94 thereon concentric with the clutch surface 100 of the winding drum.

Simple means have been provided for assembling the clutch members 90 in this position as will now be apparent. The loosely fitting ring 110 and the alignment ring 112 are preferably formed with their outer diameters of similar size and the loosely fitting ring may thus be readily positioned concentrically upon the hollow shaft 36 by aligning the outer surfaces of these two members together. The nuts 106 of the actuating members 102 may then be adjusted so that the clutch members 90 will be positioned with their. friction bands 94 slightly spaced from and concentric with the clutch surface 100 as described. Suitable locking means (not shown) may be incorporated between the nuts 106 and the threaded extensions 104 of the actuating members 102 to maintain the clutch members in position against displacement from vibration during operation of the hoist.

The annular flange 99 on the winding drum 66 is provided with an external braking surface 150 and suitable brake means may be employed upon this braking surface 150 to prevent undesired rotation of the hoist when the clutch is disengaged. In this embodiment the brake mechanism comprises a resilient band 152 preferably of metal, having secured to its inner surface a friction band 154 which is adapted to engage the braking surface 150. One end of the resilient metal band 150 is looped around a pin 156 projecting from a flanged portion 158 of the bracket secured, as previously stated, to the housing 24 and this looped end is then secured as by rivets 160.

To secure the other end of the brake band 152 in position and also provide for the adjustment of the band upon the braking surface 150, the flanged portion 158 of the bracket 125 is provided with a second pin 162 positioned below the first pin 156. A brake pedal member 164 having extending side arms 165 is pivoted upon the pin 162.

Upon the inner sides of the side arms 165 are projections 167 shaped in the form of hooks.

These hook-shaped projections 167 are adapted to engage a trunnioned member 166 the body of which is threaded for the reception of a brake rod 168 secured to the resilient band 152 and having a threaded end 169 projecting through the trunnioned member 166. An adjusting nut 170 may be used upon the projecting end of the brake rod to adjust the brake band in relation to the braking surface.

The brake pedal member 164 may be of such weight that the friction band 154 will be maintained in close relation to the braking surface 150 at all times and exert a slight friction thereon to prevent the winding drum 66 from unwinding.

With the construction described the motor for driving the hoist may rotate at all times in one direction. The drive shaft 12 will therefore rotate the hollow shaft 36 through the medium of the reduction gearing and the hollow shaft in turn will rotate the driving members 82. The sectional clutch members 90 having their fricttion bands 94 preferably slightly out of contact from the clutch surface 100 of the winding drum 66, as described, will therefore be rotated around the clutch surface 100.

A haulage cable may be mounted on one drum and a tail rope cable on the other and to drive either drum the clutch handle 114 may be used to actuate the pinions 120 to move the yoke in one direction and impart longitudinal movement to the bearing assembly and the collar 144 to move the alignment ring 112. It may be noted here that although the yoke 126 is pivoted upon the pin 130 at a distance from the axis of the drive shaft 12, thus causing the yoke to move in an arcuate path, this will not affect the true longitudinal movement of the bearing assembly in a path parallel with the axis of the drive shaft 12.

This conversion of the arcuate motion of the yoke 126 into a straight motion on the part of the bearing assembly is accomplished by means of the trunnions 136 upon which the yoke 126 moves vertically during its travel in an arcuate path.

Continued movement of the clutch handle 114 will cause the alignment ring 112, and the adjacent loosely fitting ring 110, to move longitudinally on the hollow shaft 36 whereupon the actuating members 102 will pivot in their sockets 108 and change their angle of inclination.

It will be apparent that the clutch handle 114 may be used to exert any desired pressure to force the friction bands 94 of the clutch members 90 into engagement with the clutch surface 100 of the winding drum and, as soon as suflicient force has been applied, the drum will be driven with the hollow shaft.

During this operation and while the bearing assembly is moved from position, the other clutch mechanism will be maintained against movement towards the bearing assembly by the alignment ring 112 of that side abutting the enlarged portion 145 of the hollow shaft 36. As soon as the clutch handle 114 is moved in the opposite direction to disengage the clutch members 90 from the clutch surface 100, the springs 98 will contract and thus assist in this disengaging action.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the winding drum is positively driven by the simultaneous action of a plurality of clutch members acting at substantially equally spaced distances around the clutch surface and that by this arrangement an equal force may be applied around this internal clutch surface. The movement necessary to engage and disengage the clutch mechanism has been kept to a minimum and the parts are therefore correspondingly stiff and rugged in construction.

I claim:

In a hoist, a winding 'drum having a clutch surface thereon, a plurality of separated clutch members spaced at substantially equal distances around the clutch surface and rotatable therearound, actuating members contacting with said separated clutch members at spaced points along the length of the clutch members and having threaded portions, nuts on the threaded portions for adjusting the actuating members with respect to the clutch surface and having rounded ends, a sleeve shiftable laterally of the clutch surface having notches to receive loosely the rounded ends and being movable to change the angle of inclination of the actuating members whereby the separated clutch members may be simultaneously moved into engagement with the clutch surface to drive the winding drum, and springs connected at their ends to adjacent clutch members for disengaging the clutch members from the clutch surface.

FRANCIS A. JIMERSON. 

